CASTLE RUINS AT ST. GOAR

Thursday, September 28th, 2000 Bacharach

Up about 8 am we went down to breakfast and met the couple from Washington and another young couple from Texas. Talked with them throughout the breakfast and Letty came in and sat with us. The Rick Steve’s tour that left Haarlam on Saturday morning had just left her place, the bus driver that is. She generally has the drivers and their families. This only has a few rooms. Letty is Filipino and was probably married to a military person??

Back to the room, it’s raining outside. I have decided to have a day off and Jim doesn’t want to go out into the rain. So he’s reading my book again. I reorganizes the luggage. Updated bookkeeping and journal. Jim finally went for a walk when the maid came to do the room. He found a Cyber Shop so we’ll go to do some e-mail this afternoon. Also got some DM from the ATM. [Oh how nice it is to have Euros now!]

Weather has cleared so guess I’ll close this for now and we’ll go see a castle or something.

Ate our lunch when Jim returned. Then we walked over to the Information Shop and I spent a half-hour on the Internet. Took about 15 minutes to learn how to work it and then another 15 minutes to clean out my mailbox. I had 130 messages, only 29 of them were worth saving. Then I was out of time. Jim arrived back and we walked around the town and up to the old gate. Saw a wonderful B&B that we’d love to stay at if we ever return.

Then we got into the car and drove to St. Goar where we toured the ruined castle. It was really great. It was sprinkling when we arrived so Jim didn’t take his video camera inside. It was so great he went back out to get it so that we could have views of the Rhine from the ramparts! Sun came out and it was a grand tour. Walked all the way around the surviving castle which is about one-fifth of the original size. It was one of the largest on the Rhine.

Went to Hotel Kranenturm, next door to Pension Letty’s, for dinner. Met a very nice couple from Salem, Oregon and two women traveling alone; they were leaving the next morning. Kent & Heidi are also staying at Pension Letty’s; we shared our wine with them. Home about 9 pm.